News

Dabill 6th in Andorra

29/06/2009

He was very impressive yesterday and rode confidently infront of his main championship rivals. The course was again quite long and time was again an issue to finish the first lap in the 3 hour time limit which we timed perfectly to finish the lap with about 40 seconds to spare.

The first 4 sections were all up a very slippy stream which were all fairly steady for the top riders and dibs started well with three ‘cleans’. A slack ‘three’ on section 4 were his first marks of the day which his main rivals cleaned.

The start of section 5 was a really awkward, steep and slippy back out of the stream and ALL the riders fived apart from Fuji who must have scrabbled up for a three.

We then went on another ‘special test’ to get to section 6 which was the first of the dry sections on the steep wooded hillside which was littered with big boulders.

James was impressive on all the remaining sections which he rode very confidently and really did look as good as anyone.

The hardest section 12 where Dibs fived twice was very ‘hit and miss’. It was one of those sections where the gearing was not quite right, second was too low and third was too high. Dibs chose 3rd and admits he was maybe a bit too fast on both laps. Im pretty sure that he would have pissed up in second had he ridden it a bit slower..

So Dibs finished the first lap on 26 marks, five behind Doug and the same as Cabestany…..game on!

The second lap ‘again’ went well. He annoying ‘fived’ section 5 (but after the hard bit!!) where he spat a rock out in the stream. Nevertheless he kept his head and went on another roll from section 6 onwards. Dibs’ technique on the Gasser was a joy to watch and in my eyes nobody looked better from sections 6 to 12….me happy.

So he finished the lap on 18 which was 8 better than his first and we waited for all the others to finish. Doug beat him on a most cleans tie-break which gutted him, then Fuji went only one better to beat both Doug and Dibs so his possible 4th place was soon demoted to 6th.

For me i was happy because James really was onfire yesterday and i must thank Jack and the GG Factory staff for getting his bike ready for the event.

ALL the bikes are underpowered in Andorra which is +2000m and the air is quite thin. Jack and the boys worked hard on the Friday to get Dibs’ bike running VERY good with various carburation and cylinder head changes etc..

James is now 7th in the Championship on 86 points, ten infront of Marc Frexia in 8th. Doug is 6th but 18 points clear of Dibs so the plan is simply to keep pushing in Spain and France and see what happens….